Going electric

We have all seen these types of videos explaining how the hybrid electric drive system for a truck could be function on a truck. Hybrids have had little penetration into our truck market, they are expensive and take many years to repay the initial outlay. All that is about to change, the next stage in the exhaust gas emission rules in Europe and the US will be all about reducing carbon and hybridisation may well be the solution many truck manufacturers reach for.

Truck makers could get their trucks to meet the new requirements by simply hybridising the current truck design. The fuel use reduction could well be enough to get the trucks over the line without adding even more complex new technology. We can expect the price and weight of batteries to drop in the coming years as the numbers in production go up. This would make the hybrid a more viable option.

Here is a short video of one of the top selling hybrids in Australia, the Hino system:

Hybrids can also be used to improve performance in a truck, as illustrated by this racing truck from Volvo: